Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

[black95maro]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

i had no oil leak when i was running just regualar oil then i went out and got that syntec blennd stuff and now everytime i pull out of the spot i parked i see marks from where my car had leaked...mines not bad at all just like 2-3 drops a night but i wouldnt wanna know how bad it would be with full synthetic......is there any kind of additive that can stop my oil leak....not trying to hijack the tread...

[speedyz]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

Honestly it is probably best to pick one oil, wether it be synthetic or not, and stick with it. If you have been using 10W40 valvoline and are satisfied, I say stick with it. The most important thing is to make sure you change the oil regularily and check oil levels weekly. If you maintain your car and change oil every 3k or 3 months, your motor should last a long time. Also, why spend 10 dollars on a kn filter when you can get an AC Delco for 3 dollars?

Here is my list:
Mobil 1 clean 5000 - 10 dollars
AC Delco PF47 - 3 Dollars

Total comes out to about 15 dollars with tax.

[terminaldegree]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

My $.02--

Synthetic isn't a good choice if you're already leaking oil anywhere.
Any "SM" rated oil is probably fine for 3,000 miles/3 months, even the house brand stuff from an autoparts store.
You are wasting money on the oil additive
You are wasting lots of money on the K&N filter [but certainly not hurting anything by using it].

Want to save money and still get a great filter?
-Get a Wix/Napa Gold
-Get a Purolator Pure 1
-Get an AC delco pf47 or 52 that has the red/orange colored anti-drainback valve [it's a Wix clone in disguise]

Want to save even more money and still get a good filter?
-Get a house branded filter from O'reillys [a regular purolator clone]
-Get a house branded filter from Advance [also a purolator with nonskid grip]
-Get an STP filter from Autozone [supposedly better media than the bargain-basement Valucraft]

Watch the sales for name brand "dino" oil and one of the better filters = $15.
Watch the sales for "oil change specials" using the house-branded stuff = $10 at O'reilly, for example.

The $15 example will protect your car just as well as the $40 you're spending now. In the interest of full disclosure, I run name-brand synthetics [bought on sale] and the AC delco/Wix clone PF52 in my bird but this car never had an oil leak since I've had it.

[SpeedingFirebird]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

do the pros of synthetic outweigh the cons of an oil leak??

and if you change your oil (with all the good stuff i use) will it really matter as long as i do it religously?

You hit the nail right here bro. Keep on top of your oil changes, and you can stick with dyno oil with no probs. Given the age of your motor, I recommend against switching to synthetic. I have never tried the blends, but dyno is fine if you stay on top of it.

Skip the additives. Save the money for some perf mods. :cool:

FYI, the synthetic v. dyno thing has been argued for years. Google around and see what some experts say.

[ssms5411]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

Honestly it is probably best to pick one oil, wether it be synthetic or not, and stick with it. If you have been using 10W40 valvoline and are satisfied, I say stick with it. The most important thing is to make sure you change the oil regularily and check oil levels weekly. If you maintain your car and change oil every 3k or 3 months, your motor should last a long time. Also, why spend 10 dollars on a kn filter when you can get an AC Delco for 3 dollars?

Here is my list:
Mobil 1 clean 5000 - 10 dollars
AC Delco PF47 - 3 Dollars

Total comes out to about 15 dollars with tax.

Thats my setup right there, works well.

[speedyz]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

Thats my setup right there, works well.

Can't go wrong with mobil 1! ;)

[jola]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

Why are you using 10W40? I think the manual recommends 5W30 or 10W30.

[blackRS]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

10w30

[CDNFB]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

If you want to go synthetic, just do it. The leaks that you will experience, IF ANY, will be nominal.

In fact, you will be actually extending the life of, or preventing leaks from the dynamic seals. (dynamic seals are all those seals that are used to seal rotating shafts or moving parts. As explained before, the the molecules in the synthetic oil are smaller and those smaller molecules can get into the micro gaps between the seal edge and the rotating shaft and provide lubrication so that the seal wear is severly reduced (shaft wear at the seal contact point will be less as well). Also, sythetic oil has better lubrication properties in comparison to dino oils, which means reduced seal wear, and in-turn less chance of leakage!!

I run Mobil 1 10W30 in my 99 FB. Switched over from dino oil at high milage with no leakages occuring or having occured since.

Every 3000 miles (give or take a couple of hundred miles) I change my oil, and the oil is still so clean that I can see light through the oil when it's draining from the pan. Now you could argue that it's a waste of oil and that there is more life left in the oil. But I look at it as a way of keeping the engine internals as clean as possible.

[kala]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

I use synthetic oil...my oil changes are $25 (quakerstate RPM synthetic + Fram)

DO NOT USE "FRAM". Horrible filters. I use the AC Delco pf-47 (you can use "big boy" pf-52 too). They work great. Since I change my oil every 2 months, I go with Castrol GTX hi mileage w/ Ac delco filter. Cost 12+4= $16. not bad.

Every 3000 miles (give or take a couple of hundred miles) I change my oil, and the oil is still so clean that I can see light through the oil when it's draining from the pan. Now you could argue that it's a waste of oil and that there is more life left in the oil. But I look at it as a way of keeping the engine internals as clean as possible.

That's exactly how I feel. I change every 2000 miles or 2 months. I think it worth it since it only costs $16 X 6 = $96 a year. If I go to regular "jiffy lube" oil places, every 3k miles or 3 months I will pay $30 X 4 = $120. My engine internals are so clean you can eat chinese food off from it.



:)

[blackRS]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

why just chinese food? what are you trying to say? :p

[bah]

Re: Will synthetic oil cause leaks??

i have 151k and switched around 138 or so, no leaks, its worth it, if you maintain your car i.e. changing your gaskets when they leak then you wont have a problem, my intake gaskets valve cover gaskets and oil pan gasket are new, no oil on the floor, its that simple, take care of your car and it will take care of you, and if you are still leaking with that lucas dont switch until you replace the gaskets that are leaking, because that lucas is like honey and if that is leaking through you have problems, i wouldnt use it anyway